Court 13 Arts

What Court 13 Arts does

Court 13 Arts Inc. is a New Orleans-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 46-3310690) founded in 2015 by writer-director Benh Zeitlin following the Academy Award-nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild. The organization operates a portfolio of cinema-culture and filmmaker-support programs aimed at growing and sustaining New Orleans' film ecosystem through visual literacy, creative education, and community-driven collaboration.

Its core programs include Gap Tooth Cinema, a weekly Wednesday screening series at The Broad Theater that has run for 8 consecutive seasons since 2022; a Script Reading & Notes service providing written feedback at three price tiers ($38 for shorts, $88 for feature-length, $130 for extended features) via a Squarespace online store; one-on-one Film Mentorship; a Filmmaker Retreat (inaugural edition March 26–28, 2026 at The Broad Theater and NIMS Center); Fiscal Sponsorship services charging a 6% administration fee on pass-through grant funds; and a Studio Artists residency providing affordable workspace to visual artists.

Revenue is generated through four streams: tax-deductible donations and sponsorships (ranging from $25 to $25,000 per contribution), script notes service fees, filmmaker retreat registration, and fiscal sponsorship administration fees. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth within the Gulf South creative community, partnerships with local venues (The Broad Theater, NIMS Center) and institutions (New Orleans Film Festival, Arts New Orleans, the City of New Orleans, Kenneth Rainin Foundation), and direct outreach at film festivals and community events.

Name

Court 13 Arts

Legal name

Court 13 Arts Inc.

Website

https://court13arts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Court 13 Arts is a New Orleans-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports independent filmmakers and visual artists through weekly cinema screenings (Gap Tooth Cinema), paid script feedback, fiscal sponsorship, mentorship, and studio residency programs, serving the Gulf South creative community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Arts & Nonprofit Cultural Programming

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF)

Keywords

• Independent film programming
• Fiscal sponsorship
• Script consultation services
• Filmmaker support services
• Community arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations, corporate sponsorships, and in-kind support from partners. The organization accepts donations ranging from $25 to $25,000 and receives support from local foundations and government arts grants.
2. Script Reading and Notes Service: Affordable screenplay feedback services for filmmakers. Pricing tiers for shorts (under 30 pages), feature-length scripts (up to 100 pages), and extended features (101+ pages). Turnaround is 7-10 business days with written feedback on story structure, character development, dialogue, pacing, and tone.
3. Filmmaker Retreat Registration: Intimate multi-day retreat events for filmmakers featuring workshops, seminars, screenings, and networking opportunities. Inaugural retreat held March 2026.
4. Fiscal Sponsorship Administration: Court 13 Arts takes a 6% administration fee on all funds received through their fiscal sponsorship program, which enables individual filmmakers and artists to access grant funding and tax-deductible donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Court 13 Arts is a New Orleans-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports independent filmmakers through weekly film screenings, tiered script consultation, filmmaker retreats, mentorship programs, fiscal sponsorship, and a studio residency program for artists.

Product overview

Court 13 Arts is a New Orleans-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of cinema culture programs. Its core offerings include Gap Tooth Cinema (a weekly film screening program), Script Notes services (providing affordable screenplay feedback at three tiers: Shorts at $38, Feature-Length at $88, and Extended Features at $130), the Filmmaker Retreat (an annual intensive event), Film Mentorship, Fiscal Sponsorship services, and the Studio Artists residency program. The organization supports Louisiana filmmakers and artists through education, mentorship, funding access, and community programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gap Tooth Cinema: Weekly film screening program celebrating daring cinema, held Wednesdays at 7:30 pm at The Broad Theater in New Orleans
• Studio Artists
• Filmmaker Services

Products and services

• Gap Tooth Cinema Weekly film screenings that program independent cinema for the New Orleans community and visiting filmmakers.
• Script Reading & Notes Script consultation service offered in three tiers, providing independent filmmakers with written feedback and development notes on their screenplays.
• Filmmaker Retreat An immersive retreat program for filmmakers offering time, space, and creative community to develop new projects.
• Film Mentorship Mentorship pairing independent filmmakers with experienced mentors for project guidance and career development.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Nonprofit fiscal sponsorship enabling independent film projects to receive tax-deductible donations under Court 13 Arts' 501(c)(3) status.
• Studio Artists Program A residency program providing studio space and resources to selected independent artists and filmmakers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phillip Youmans became the youngest director (age 19) to compete at Tribeca Film Festival and first African-American to win the Founder's Award
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• The Broad TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for Gap Tooth Cinema weekly screenings. Located at 636 North Broad Street, New Orleans. The theater hosts the organization's weekly Wednesday screenings and special events, serving as the physical hub for Court 13 Arts' community programming.
• Arts New OrleanssupportingOthersCity arts agency administering Community Arts Grant program. Supports Court 13 Arts programs through grant funding as part of the City of New Orleans arts funding initiatives.
• City of New OrleanssupportingOthersMunicipal government providing arts grant support through Arts New Orleans. Partial funding source for Court 13 Arts' community programming.
• Broadway ConsumersupportingOthersAlgae-based consumer products company supporting Court 13 Arts through corporate sponsorship.
• Kenneth Rainin FoundationsupportingOthersPrivate foundation providing grant support to Court 13 Arts. Known for supporting film and arts organizations in the Bay Area and beyond.
• New Orleans Recreation and Culture FundsupportingOthersCity recreation and culture fund supporting Court 13 Arts programs.
• Gulf Coast Bank & Trust CompanysupportingOthersLouisiana-based bank providing community support to Court 13 Arts.
• New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual film festival partnership. Court 13 Arts participates in the New Orleans Film Festival through partnership screenings and collaborative programming, including events at the Contemporary Arts Center.
• French Truck CoffeeminorOthersLocal New Orleans coffee provider supporting filmmaker retreat events through in-kind sponsorship.
• NIMS CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for filmmaker retreat programming. Home to History of Cinema Collection accessible to retreat participants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Film Independent: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing filmmaker labs, fiscal sponsorship, and the Spirit Awards. Directly comparable to Court 13 Arts in offering mentorship, fiscal sponsorship, and educational programs for independent filmmakers, but operating at significantly greater scale and offering direct awards recognition.
• Tribeca Film Institute: NYC-based nonprofit affiliated with the Tribeca Festival that supports underrepresented filmmakers through grants, mentorship, and production programs. Directly comparable to Court 13 Arts in focus on barrier-facing filmmakers and mentorship-led development, though with substantially greater funding and reach.
• Sundance Institute: Sundance Institute is the preeminent nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers through labs, grants, and the Sundance Film Festival. Comparable to Court 13 Arts as a film-focused nonprofit providing mentorship and development programs to indie filmmakers, though significantly larger in scale, budget, and industry reach.
• Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP / Gotham Film & Media Institute): NYC-based nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers through year-round programming, the Gotham Awards, and filmmaker development labs. Comparable to Court 13 Arts in mission (indie filmmaker support and community programming) though with a national scope and longer operating history.

Direct peers

• New Orleans Film Society: Local peer nonprofit running the New Orleans Film Festival and year-round cinema programming in the same city as Court 13 Arts. Operates with overlapping mission of building cinema culture and supporting filmmakers in the New Orleans ecosystem, though Court 13 is also a partner rather than pure competitor.
• Austin Film Society: Texas-based nonprofit combining curated film exhibition, filmmaker support, and educational programming. Highly comparable to Court 13 Arts in offering year-round cinema screenings, filmmaker grants, and community education in a regional creative hub, with similar scale and operational model.
• Rooftop Films: Brooklyn-based nonprofit running outdoor and indoor film screenings plus filmmaker support programs. Comparable to Court 13 Arts in mission of curating daring independent cinema for community audiences and supporting indie filmmakers, though with a NYC geography and outdoor-screening specialty.
• Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema: Birmingham, AL-based nonprofit operating a year-round cinema, the Sidewalk Film Festival, and filmmaker programming. Comparable to Court 13 Arts as a Southern U.S. regional film nonprofit combining curated cinema exhibition with festival and filmmaker support activities.
• Cucalorus Film Foundation: Wilmington, NC-based nonprofit running the Cucalorus Film Festival and year-round filmmaker support programming. Comparable to Court 13 Arts as a regional film nonprofit combining festival programming, filmmaker labs, and community cinema engagement in a non-traditional film hub.
• Jacob Burns Film Center: Nonprofit film education center and cinema in Pleasantville, NY offering curated screenings, filmmaker residencies, and media literacy programs. Comparable to Court 13 Arts in combining physical cinema programming, educational mission, and filmmaker development services under one organizational umbrella.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/court13arts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Court 13 Arts